


The Broken Sword of Kahless

by Archangel_Beth



Series: Vulcan Alliance Timeline [4]
Category: Star Trek Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archangel_Beth/pseuds/Archangel_Beth
Summary: In another timeline, Klingons are... a bit different. They are known for their dignity and their poetry. And this is a teaching poem, for Klingon ears only. (It is undoubtedly better in the original Klingon.)
Series: Vulcan Alliance Timeline [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793815
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	The Broken Sword of Kahless

* * *

_Once, we were a race of warriors._  
_We killed our gods, for they troubled us._  
_We roared to warn Stovo'kor_  
_A warrior has died._  
_A warrior is coming._

_Then came the Enemy._  
_We fought them! They fell before us._  
_More came. And more._  
_The Halls of Stovo'kor were filled with warriors._  
_The air of Qonos was filled with our roaring._

_The brave died. The skilled died._  
_The invading Enemy took our strongholds._  
_They took our treasures._  
_They took the sword of Kahless._

_And they broke it._

_Fitting, if the skies had blackened then_  
_With the ghosts of our warriors returned._  
_With the ships of allies._  
_With the demons set loose from Gre'thor._

_They did not._

_The Enemy hunted us._  
_The brave died. The warriors died._

_We are descended from the cowards who hid._  
_We are descended from the wounded who set traps._  
_We are descended from the mothers who ran with their children._  
_The mothers who chose Gre'thor for themselves,_  
_So their children might live._

_And the Enemy hunted us._  
_The brave were dead._  
_The warriors were dead._  
_The canny trappers died._  
_The cowards were found, and died._  
_Our mothers ran with children in their arms._

_And finally the skies blackened with Rihannsu ships._  
_Finally, the Enemy was attacked from behind._  
_Finally, the Enemy died._

_And we lived._  
_The cowards who hid best._  
_Those whose traps were best._  
_The mothers who gave their souls for their children._  
_We are their descendants._

_We live still. We farm. We sing._  
_We protect our dignity._  
_When we die, we go to Gre'thor._  
_When we die, no one roars._

_When we die_  
_They whisper in our ears:_  
**_Fight well._ **

_We will board the slave barge to Gre'thor._  
_We will row beneath the lash._  
_And when the gates of Gre'thor are in sight_

_We will attack._

_We will rise from the oars._  
_We will take what weapons we find._  
_We will grab the overseers' arms and legs._  
_We will bear them to the ground and choke the life from them with our bare hands._

_We will dock at the gates of Gre'thor and go ashore,_  
_With the lashes of the overseers._  
_With the broken oars as spears._  
_With whatever we can find._  
_With our bare hands._

_And we will fight the demons of Gre'thor_  
_As we could not fight the Enemy._  
_We will drive them back._  
_We will make a fortress of their bodies._

_And then, when the barges dock,_  
_We will give our kin weapons made of demon bones._  
_And we will tell them,_

**_Welcome, warriors!_ ** _It is time to fight!_

_And the gates will crack with our roaring!_  
_For we are warriors, and we will battle_  
_And we will take Gre'thor itself as our own!_

_—Imperial Poet Kagran_


End file.
